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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. court — of law
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. net — in sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — for catching

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