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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stock — shares
  15. rash — a series
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — to rip
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stock — goods
  22. cap — a lid
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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