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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. root — the cause
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — of a word
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — to visit

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