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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — the cause
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bass — low music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. root — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — a phone
  24. band — a ring

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