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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — the cause
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spell — letters
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. vault — a safe
  13. race — a contest
  14. spell — magic
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — a short time
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pit — in a race
  24. 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