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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — in cards
  6. face — to confront
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rush — hurry
  13. root — of a word
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. root — the cause
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bowl — a football final

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