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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — a city
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — a practice
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tear — from crying
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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