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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: spring · drill · leaves · rule · tube · root · key · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. key — for a lock
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. spring — the season
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rule — government
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tube — a container
  14. root — of a word
  15. drill — a practice
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. spring — of water
  23. drill — army training
  24. rule — a law

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