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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — a trail
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — to trim

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