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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wake — a trail
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — of a word
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bore — to drill
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — the amount
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — to handle

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