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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lean · kick · key · bark · rush · bat · swing

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bat — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kick — in football
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — in music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. kick — a thrill

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