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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: mark · hand · calf · drill · mug · sharp · root · key

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. root — of a plant
  18. drill — army training
  19. key — in music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. root — the cause
  24. mug — to rob

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