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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — the cause
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. dip — to sink
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bass — the fish

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