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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. key — for a lock
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — help
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lean — thin

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