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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fall — to drop
  5. charge — a price
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. root — the cause
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a word
  17. fall — the season
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fall — to drop

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