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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — the cause
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. root — of a word
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — a short time
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. capital — money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spell — magic
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lean — to bend

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