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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 124 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — the cause
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. net — for catching
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to click
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. net — after costs

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