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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — a cup
  7. object — an aim
  8. mark — a trace
  9. root — the cause
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — a thing
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rash — a series
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. content — happy
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. object — to protest
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rash — hasty
  22. root — of a word
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. root — of a plant

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