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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — the cause
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bat — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. root — of a word
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lean — thin
  14. file — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. file — a line of people
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a document
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — part of the body

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