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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — final
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. root — of a word
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — the fish
  22. degree — an amount
  23. last — finally
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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