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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pop — music
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — soda
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — of water
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — to visit

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