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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 the members were all out of tune.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — a container
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. root — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — of a word
  8. rule — government
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. root — the cause
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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