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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — of a word
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. can — a tin
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. capital — a city
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. capital — money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — to recline

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