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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — a practice
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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