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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. degree — an amount
  7. face — to confront
  8. degree — temperature
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. root — the cause
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rash — hasty

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