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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mug — a face
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mug — a cup
  11. club — for dancing
  12. kid — child
  13. club — a group
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. root — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  24. season — of the year

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