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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. root — the cause

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