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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — in music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a plant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. drill — a practice
  15. suit — to fit
  16. game — a match
  17. march — the month
  18. key — the most important part
  19. suit — in cards
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com