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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pop — soda
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. root — the cause
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kick — in football

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