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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. file — a line of people
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. file — a tool
  13. squash — to crush
  14. root — the cause
  15. file — a document
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. root — of a word
  24. ground — the earth

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