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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. object — to protest
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. root — the cause
  11. rock — a stone
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. object — an aim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — in football
  16. season — of the year
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cold — not warm
  20. root — of a word
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. object — a thing

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