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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a face
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — the cause
  10. pound — a weight
  11. can — a tin
  12. root — of a plant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cell — in biology
  19. can — to be able to
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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