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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. tube — a container
  8. spell — a short time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — there
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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