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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — an amount
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. swing — in golf
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. root — of a word
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — in cards
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mug — a cup
  24. hide — to keep secret

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