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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rash — hasty
  6. root — the cause
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. scale — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — a series
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — on the skin

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