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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lie — to recline
  9. sharp — clever
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. root — of a word

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