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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 116 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rule — government
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — a law
  8. spring — the season
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. spring — of water
  11. cap — a lid
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — the cause
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cap — a hat
  23. fork — in a road
  24. spring — a coil

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