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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — a short time
  5. root — the cause
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. ground — crushed
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — letters
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rash — a series
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. rash — hasty

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