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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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Word bank
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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: stem · snap · rock · kick · drill · saw · cabinet · pitcher

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. drill — the tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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