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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — of a plant
  4. row — a line
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — of a word
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. firm — steady
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — a break
  19. suit — in cards
  20. kick — in football
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. root — the cause
  23. bore — to drill
  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