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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — music
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tear — to rip
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. rush — hurry
  21. tear — from crying
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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