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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mug — a face
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. game — a match
  7. bark — to shout
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a lid
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — rain
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mug — to rob
  24. temple — a place of worship

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