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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — a leader
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. root — of a word
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. root — the cause
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — in music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mine — belonging to me

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