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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fine — all right
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — letters
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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