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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.

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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cue — a signal
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. clip — a video
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pit — in a race
  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