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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. root — of a word
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. root — of a plant
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — the time now
  16. scale — size or range
  17. present — a gift
  18. scale — in music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — the sport
  24. present — there

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