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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. root — the cause
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a trace
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. root — of a word

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