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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. kick — in football
  12. key — in music
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — of a word

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