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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: club · mug · lie · hand · fine · root · dip · spell

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fine — all right
  5. root — the cause
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — for golf
  8. lie — to recline
  9. root — of a plant
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mug — a face
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spell — letters
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — magic
  21. club — a group
  22. root — of a word
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. hand — part of the body

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