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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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