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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — a stone
  15. scale — in music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — to recline
  19. current — happening now
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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