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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rule — government
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. can — a tin
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. track — a path
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to bend

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