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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: root · nail · craft · rush · kick · swing · fork · spell

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — of a word
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. root — the cause
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a plant
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — hurry
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — boats

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