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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a document
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a line of people
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — the time now
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. spring — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — a coil
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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