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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: lie · foot · press · root · wave · kick · row · march

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. root — of a plant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. march — music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. press — to push
  11. root — of a word
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. root — the cause
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. press — a publisher
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. press — newspapers

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