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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lie — to recline
  3. root — of a word
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pop — to visit
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pop — soda
  24. lie — an untruth

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