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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a word
  5. cold — an illness
  6. band — a ring
  7. cap — of ice
  8. sharp — clever
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cold — not warm
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mark — a trace
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. suit — to fit
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. sharp — with an edge

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