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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — help
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — in cards
  10. drill — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — an aim
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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