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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a grade
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — to recline

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