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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · root · hide · mug · spell · court · drill · stick

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — a face
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rash — a series
  6. court — for sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — of a king
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — of a word
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. rash — on the skin

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