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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.

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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: drill · firm · pop · face · mug · kick · spring · lean

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pop — soda
  7. lean — thin
  8. firm — steady
  9. mug — to rob
  10. firm — decided
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. face — to point toward
  14. firm — a company
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pop — to visit
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. drill — a practice
  24. spring — of water

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