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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a partner
  3. land — a country
  4. present — there
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — a break
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — to breed
  16. root — the cause
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tear — from crying

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