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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. root — of a word
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. shower — rain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pop — to visit

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