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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — the cause
  9. cap — a lid
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — of a word
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — a signal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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