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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — in football
  10. root — of a word
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. land — a country
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. root — the cause
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. ground — a position

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