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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — of a word
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — to sink
  15. race — the arms race
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mug — a cup
  19. race — a contest
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. craft — boats
  24. race — humankind

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