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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kick — in football
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — thin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. ground — a position
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mouse — the animal

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