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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — in football
  7. mug — a face
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — to rob
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — high quality
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — a box
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a word
  19. fine — all right
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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