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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — there
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — a practice
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — the time now
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a word
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — a gift
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mark — a grade

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