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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — of a plant
  3. rule — government
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — a partner
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — the cause
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — a company
  15. spring — the season
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mate — to breed

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