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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — the cause
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mug — a face
  18. race — a contest
  19. root — of a word
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wake — a trail
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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