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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 120 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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a trace
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stand — to bear
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kick — in football
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fine — all right
  17. root — of a word
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. drill — army training
  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