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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spell — letters
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — a short time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bear — to put up with

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