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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — high quality
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — a lid
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — all right
  24. lie — to recline

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