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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — in football
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. spell — magic
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bear — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. file — a line of people

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