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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — the cause
  13. mug — a face
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a word
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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