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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — a short time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. staff — employees
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — employees
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — to sink
  22. staff — a stick
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — a sauce

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