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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. rule — government
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — of a word
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — a trail

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