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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a music group
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — the season
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — government
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. band — a ring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kid — to tease
  21. present — there
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — a gift
  24. craft — a handicraft

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