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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — a price
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — hurry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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