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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — the cause
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rock — music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chest — a box
  24. scale — in music

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