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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. root — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — of the year
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — in sport
  21. cold — not warm
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. root — the cause

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