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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pit — a hole
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. band — a music group
  17. row — to paddle
  18. squash — to crush
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a plant

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