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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. root — of a word
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bat — for baseball

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