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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — of a word
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. straw — a straw man

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