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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. root — the cause
  4. rest — a break
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fine — high quality
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — 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