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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — in football
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ground — the earth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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