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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. kick — with a leg
  2. current — happening now
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kid — child
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — electric
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. current — of water
  14. face — to confront
  15. root — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. row — a line
  22. face — to point toward
  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