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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. land — to come down
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mate — a friend
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — a partner
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground

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