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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — a coil
  9. track — to keep track
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — a path
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — of a word
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spring — the season
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — a song
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — to recline
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — of a plant

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