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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 124 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — a measure
  6. root — of a plant
  7. spell — magic
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — letters
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cap — a lid
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — the cause
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lie — to recline

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