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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — of a word
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. tear — to rip
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rule — government
  15. spell — magic
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — to tease
  18. spell — letters
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — to rule out

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