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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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