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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. land — a country
  3. band — a music group
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. root — the cause
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — to go on
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a ring
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a word
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — to come down
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — finally

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