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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. track — to keep track
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rash — a series
  8. root — of a word
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. track — a path
  13. rock — a stone
  14. present — a gift
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. present — there
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — the cause
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a song
  24. present — the time now

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