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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — from a university
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — electricity
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lie — to recline
  12. degree — temperature
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — to visit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — soda
  21. charge — a price
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fall — the season
  24. pop — music

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