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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. lean — thin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — a stick
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. staff — employees
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. staff — employees
  23. mark — a trace
  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