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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: wave · bear · root · sharp · drill · key · pop · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pop — soda
  5. sharp — clever
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pop — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — a practice
  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