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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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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: dip · cell · lean · saw · deal · root · sharp · bowl

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. root — of a word
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — in biology
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — an agreement

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