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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tear — from crying
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. root — the cause
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — clever

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