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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — high quality
  10. clip — to cut
  11. row — a line
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. root — the cause
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fine — all right
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — a video
  24. board — a committee

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