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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fall — the season
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mate — to breed
  13. present — a gift
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — the cause
  19. foot — a measure
  20. net — for catching
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cold — not warm

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