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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. shower — to wash
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lean — to bend
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lean — thin
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. root — of a word
  22. date — the fruit
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. root — the cause

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