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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. club — a group
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fall — the season
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spring — of water
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. fine — all right
  20. chair — a leader
  21. root — the cause
  22. club — for golf
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bay — a horse colour

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