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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 · cue · lean · can · spell · sharp · vault · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — magic
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cue — for pool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. can — to be able to
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. spell — letters
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lean — thin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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