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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: snap · spring · root · lie · bore · drill · foot · lash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a word
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spring — a coil
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bore — to tire
  10. drill — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — of water
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — the season

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