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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a cup
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. root — the cause
  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