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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. root — the cause
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — an illness
  7. root — of a plant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — of a word
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cold — not warm
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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