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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.

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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. file — a document
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chair — a leader
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. dip — to sink
  14. root — the cause
  15. scale — in music
  16. root — of a word
  17. fall — to drop
  18. file — a line of people

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