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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 water is too ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. cold — not warm
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cold — an illness
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — all right
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — of a word
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — to go away
  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