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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mug — a cup
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — a face
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — a thing
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — to protest
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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