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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a hint
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — the cause
  21. tear — from crying
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

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