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

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — to sink
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. root — of a word
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. root — the cause
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left

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