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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a document
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lie — to recline

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