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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 · spell · ground · sharp · rash · hide · root · lean

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — a position
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — the earth
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — thin
  20. rash — a series
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — magic
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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