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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. shower — rain
  5. root — the cause
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rule — government
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. root — of a word
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. hide — animal skin

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