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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: pit · leaves · chair · root · kick · spell · kid · drill

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. drill — army training
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — a short time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — a leader
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — magic
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — child

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