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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: drill · cap · spring · kick · saw · mug · toast · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a cup
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — bread
  19. drill — the tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. cap — a hat
  22. drill — army training
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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