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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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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: fall · foot · kick · mine · march · bound · root · toast

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a plant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — bread
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bound — tied together
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — with a leg

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