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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — a friend
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mug — a face
  17. mate — to breed
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. date — on the calendar

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