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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — employees
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mug — a cup
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bear — the animal

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