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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — to sink
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. season — in sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. root — the cause
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. season — of the year

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