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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — rain
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — to recline
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — soda
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. root — of a word
  15. shower — to wash
  16. snap — to click
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — thin

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