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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wound — an injury
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the body

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