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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a plant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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