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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — the cause
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a word
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. root — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bulb — of a plant

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