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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. root — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — ground
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — to trim
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a word
  18. land — a country
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — in football
  24. bulb — of a plant

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