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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — help
  7. tear — from crying
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — final

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