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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · coach · mine · root · sharp · clip · kick · rock

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a word
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kick — in football
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — a video
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. root — the cause
  24. coach — a trainer

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