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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. snap — to click
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a great time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rule — a law
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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