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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. shower — rain
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — to wash
  6. last — finally
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. root — the cause
  10. rest — a break
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. last — final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. root — of a word
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. staff — a stick

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