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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — magic
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. root — of a word
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — a break
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rest — what's left

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