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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — to come from
  4. kick — in football
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — in control
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. charge — a price
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. charge — electricity

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