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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. root — of a word
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — thin
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — a match
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — in football

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