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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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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — to go on
  5. hand — help
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — finally
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — a monarch

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