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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — to sink
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — to bear
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. can — to be able to
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — of a plant

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