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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: mate · kick · temple · track · object · root · drill · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — of a plant
  3. track — a song
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. row — to paddle
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a path
  11. object — to protest
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. object — a thing
  16. mate — a friend
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — the cause
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. object — an aim
  24. mate — a partner

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