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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.

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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kick — in football
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rule — a law
  8. board — a committee
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — thin
  14. field — farmland
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chest — a box
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. field — for sport
  22. shower — rain
  23. rule — government
  24. chest — of your 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