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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — hurry
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. last — finally
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  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