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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — of a word
  6. pound — a weight
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. file — a document
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — to recline
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a line of people
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — to handle

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