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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a path
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. track — a song
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — to keep track
  24. deal — an agreement

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