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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 · ball · snap · stick · arm · root · cell · rush

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. ball — a great time
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. snap — to click
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. drill — a practice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. root — of a word

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