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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 120 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: lie · bank · chest · stick · root · kid · drill · bulb

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. root — the cause
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a word
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. drill — a practice
  21. root — of a plant
  22. chest — of your body
  23. drill — army training
  24. lie — an untruth

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