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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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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 · swing · bore · nail · root · cue · face · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to drill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cue — for pool
  12. root — of a word
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. swing — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cue — a signal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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