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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 124 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. root — of a word
  8. squash — to crush
  9. date — the fruit
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rash — a series
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. staff — employees

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