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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. root — the cause
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fall — the season
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — to recline
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — magic

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