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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — of a plant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — the cause
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — a leader
  16. game — a match
  17. lean — to bend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. root — of a word
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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