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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. present — the time now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — there
  13. chest — a box
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. roll — a list
  24. mark — a grade

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