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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. spell — magic
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. pop — soda
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — an illness
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a plant
  19. cold — not warm
  20. spell — a short time
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. root — of a word

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