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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.

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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. root — the cause
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. row — a line
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fall — the season

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