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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — of a plant
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ground — crushed
  13. root — of a word
  14. hand — in cards
  15. shower — to wash
  16. root — the cause
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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