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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — in football
  5. lean — thin
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rule — government
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. bulb — for light

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