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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. drill — a practice
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. drill — army training
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — a series
  24. root — the cause

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