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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rash — hasty

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