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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — a law

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