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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. sharp — clever
  3. suit — to fit
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. roll — a list
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. root — the cause
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. kick — in football
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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