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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.

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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — a stick
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. drill — a practice
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. suit — clothes
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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