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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. spell — letters
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — size or range
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — magic
  18. scale — in music

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