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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — to crush
  9. present — there
  10. pop — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. root — the cause
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — a break
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pop — soda

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