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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.

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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: toast · dip · leaves · drill · root · row · ground · hide

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — of a word
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — army training
  7. ground — crushed
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — bread
  12. row — a line
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — a position
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — a practice
  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