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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — crushed
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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