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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — in football
  8. fall — the season
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — to grow
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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