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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — of a word
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — the cause
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — in football
  11. mark — a trace
  12. band — a music group
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. band — a ring
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. kick — a thrill

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