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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wind — moving air
  16. root — of a word
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — in football
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stem — of a plant

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