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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — a face
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — a cup
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — to move gently

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