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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fine — all right
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — of a word
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. root — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. mug — a cup
  23. object — to protest
  24. fine — high quality

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