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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — clever
  5. key — the most important part
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. key — in music
  10. last — to go on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — final
  16. hand — help
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. last — finally
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hide — animal skin

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