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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. root — the cause
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — for a lock
  12. spell — letters
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spell — magic
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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