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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — hasty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. tube — a container
  9. present — there
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rock — a stone
  12. root — of a word
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — a series
  19. spring — of water
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cue — a signal
  24. spring — the season

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