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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — for catching
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — to bear
  10. net — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. dip — to sink
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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