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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · lash · lean · season · chip · nail · drill · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — a practice
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — the cause
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a word
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. season — in sport

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