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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. squash — to crush
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — the cause
  21. snap — to click
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a line

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