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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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468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — the season
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. spring — of water
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in biology
  21. date — the fruit
  22. object — an aim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. root — of a word

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