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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — soda
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — to visit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — music
  23. rash — on the skin
  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