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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — the cause
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. game — a match
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pound — to hit hard

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