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

Word bank: staff · mug · kick · root · stick · chip · perch · wave

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — a face
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mug — to rob
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wave — of the sea

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