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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cell — in biology
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. root — the cause
  14. firm — decided
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. firm — steady
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. root — of a word
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. firm — a company
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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