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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — the cause
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. charge — in control
  14. kick — in football
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — the season
  20. mine — for digging
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — a price
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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