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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · kick · bore · root · roll · rest · wax · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. kick — in football
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — of a word
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — wild animals
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fine — a penalty

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