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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a word
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. root — the cause
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ground — the earth

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