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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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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: rule · lie · foot · kick · swing · spring · root · date

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rule — government
  3. date — the fruit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. spring — a coil
  7. swing — to play on
  8. spring — the season
  9. swing — music
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spring — of water
  13. root — the cause
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rule — a law
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — on the calendar

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