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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. root — the cause
  10. face — to confront
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — to tire
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. root — of a word

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