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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. root — of a word
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. root — the cause
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bank — for money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — army training
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — to handle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — to rob
  24. sharp — clever

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