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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. root — of a word
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. kick — in football
  18. tear — from crying
  19. shower — rain
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — to rip

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