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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — of a plant
  8. firm — decided
  9. clip — a video
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fine — all right
  13. mate — a partner
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mate — a friend
  20. root — of a word
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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