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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. court — for sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tube — a container

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