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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wind — moving air
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — the cause
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — government
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. safe — out of danger

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