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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — the cause
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. root — of a plant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — in football
  14. drill — the tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. snap — to click
  20. craft — boats
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — child

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