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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — of the year
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — a container
  9. rule — a law
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — a tin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — government
  21. can — a tin
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — the cause
  24. rule — to rule out

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