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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. swing — to play on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. swing — in golf
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. content — happy
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. kick — in football
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. root — of a plant
  17. tear — from crying
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. swing — music
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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