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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. march — music
  7. firm — decided
  8. march — the month
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. tube — a container
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. root — of a plant
  19. file — a line of people
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  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