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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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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: kick · rock · fall · root · squash · nail · bark · ball

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — to shout
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — to crush
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. fall — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rock — music
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bark — of a tree

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