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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. present — there
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — in football
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. squash — to crush
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. land — to come down
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. root — of a plant
  23. present — a gift
  24. kick — with a leg

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