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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chest — a box
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — help
  9. fall — the season
  10. rock — music
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — the cause
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — to move gently

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