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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. cue — for pool
  9. toast — bread
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ground — a position
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — a supporter

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