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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hand — help
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. root — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lean — to bend
  18. root — of a word
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rash — hasty

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