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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 116 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: drill · bore · stem · wake · sharp · row · kick · safe

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — a practice
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bore — to drill
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — in football
  10. row — a line
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — to tire
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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