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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. cap — a lid
  16. root — of a word
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — high quality
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fine — all right
  24. root — the cause

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