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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — for betting
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. root — of a word
  14. chip — to eat
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — in football
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. net — in sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — a thrill

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