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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: pitcher · sharp · lie · toast · cold · root · rest · present

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — a gift
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lie — to recline
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — of a word
  21. present — there
  22. cold — an illness
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitcher — a jug

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