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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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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: dip · ball · root · mate · face · cabinet · kick · bowl

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — to confront
  4. mate — to breed
  5. root — the cause
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — in football

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