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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: drill · march · spring · root · stick · snap · lie · suit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. drill — army training
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. root — of a word
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — the cause
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. march — 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