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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rest — a break
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — in sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. track — a song
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a path
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — of the year
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — to keep track
  22. toast — bread
  23. root — the cause
  24. bat — the animal

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