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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · wound · spell · dip · mug · cold · perch · key

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — in music
  3. mug — a face
  4. spell — letters
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mug — a cup
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. dip — to sink
  24. root — the cause

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