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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cap — of ice
  3. file — a document
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. root — of a word
  6. lean — to bend
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pop — music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — bread
  22. file — a line of people
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a lid

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