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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pop — music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — to visit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — government
  19. dip — to sink
  20. root — the cause
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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