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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — letters
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. root — the cause
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a plant
  21. spell — magic
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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