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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mine — for digging
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — to rob
  21. root — the cause
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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