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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 124 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cap — a lid
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rest — a break
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. root — the cause
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cap — a hat
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — for paper
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — soda
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. clip — a video
  24. mug — to rob

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