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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bore — to drill
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — to tire
  20. clip — a video
  21. mug — a face
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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