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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — after costs
  3. spell — magic
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — of water
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — a short time
  10. net — in sport
  11. spring — the season
  12. rule — a law
  13. spell — letters
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — for catching
  23. rule — government
  24. spring — a coil

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