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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. spring — of water
  20. root — of a word
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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