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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — a law
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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