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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — the cause
  9. kick — in football
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — the tool

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