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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. field — a subject
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. root — of a word
  8. fork — in a road
  9. field — farmland
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. field — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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