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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. content — happy
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — a law
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spell — a short time
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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