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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kick — in football
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. root — the cause
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. swing — to play on
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — in golf

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