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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — high quality
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a word
  16. drill — army training
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. charge — a price
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. present — the time now
  24. drill — the tool

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