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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pop — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — of a plant
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — of a word
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — a group
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — thin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. wound — an injury
  23. root — the cause
  24. lean — to bend

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