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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 116 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: wave · calf · mark · drill · mug · lean · root · spell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — army training
  14. spell — letters
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — to rob
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. root — of a plant

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