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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — to handle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. spring — the season
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hand — help
  19. chair — a leader
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — of a plant
  22. spring — a coil
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — for light

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