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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ground — a position
  3. root — the cause
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rash — a series
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — employees
  21. root — of a word
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. shower — rain

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