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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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. root — of a word
  6. shower — to wash
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — a company
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — decided
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — in football
  20. net — after costs
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — in sport

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