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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a document
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chip — to eat
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — music
  24. chip — in a computer

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