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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. file — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — the season
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. tear — from crying
  13. spring — a coil
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. file — a line of people
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — a measure

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