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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 116 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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. root — of a plant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — magic
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rest — a break
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kid — to tease
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — to handle
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kid — child

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