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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: last · land · firm · drill · kick · straw · mark · key

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. last — finally
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. land — a country
  8. last — final
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. key — for a lock
  12. firm — decided
  13. key — in music
  14. last — to go on
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. drill — a practice
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — army training
  20. land — to come down
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kick — in football
  23. firm — a company
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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