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

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fall — the season
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — to keep track
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a song
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hand — help
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rush — to hurry

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