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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — magic
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — the underground
  9. track — to keep track
  10. staff — a stick
  11. track — a path
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — letters
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — a container

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