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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. shower — to wash
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. root — of a plant
  6. squash — the sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. shower — rain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — of a word
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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