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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · dip · cold · key · root · spell · scale · chip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. root — of a word
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spell — letters
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. root — the cause
  12. cold — not warm
  13. key — in music
  14. scale — in music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — magic
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cold — an illness
  22. spell — a short time
  23. scale — size or range
  24. dip — a sauce

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