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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to bend
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ground — a position
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — to sink
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lean — thin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. root — the cause
  20. pass — a permit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — the earth
  23. root — of a word
  24. cap — a hat

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