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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spell — magic
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. root — of a word
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — a break
  15. fine — all right
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — letters
  22. rest — what's left
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — a penalty

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