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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. root — of a word
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kick — in football
  18. perch — the fish
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — the cause
  23. ball — a dance
  24. track — a path

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