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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 124 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. land — a country
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. land — ground
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — of a word
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — the cause
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rush — to hurry

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