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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. content — the amount
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — the cause
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. root — of a word
  24. fall — to drop

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