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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. root — the cause
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — a safe
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — a law
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tear — from crying

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