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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. drill — army training
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bat — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — a practice

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