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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.

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: fine · calf · drill · rush · kick · snap · track · root

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. track — to keep track
  3. drill — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — army training
  11. root — of a word
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to click
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — the cause

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