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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · stick · kick · present · foot · stem

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. kick — in football
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — the time now
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — there
  15. stem — to come from
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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