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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. drill — a practice
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — army training
  8. last — finally
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. last — to go on
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — not warm
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — final
  24. drill — the tool

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