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

Word bank: root · mate · snap · bank · drill · fork · tear · calf

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. root — the cause
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tear — to rip
  13. root — of a word
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mate — a partner
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to click
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — the tool

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