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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — all right
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — help
  18. root — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — part of the body

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