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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. root — the cause
  5. tube — a container
  6. spring — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — in football
  10. roll — a list
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. roll — a cake
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bound — tied together
  18. root — of a word
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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