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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. root — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. root — of a word
  9. chair — a leader
  10. root — the cause
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pop — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. sharp — exactly

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