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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — employees
  6. net — for catching
  7. present — there
  8. fall — the season
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — of a word
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. root — the cause
  18. tube — a container
  19. net — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — employees

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