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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a grade
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. land — a country
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. deal — to handle
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — steady
  21. kick — in football
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. kick — a thrill

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