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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fall — the season
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. root — the cause
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — government
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. shower — rain
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. straw — dry grass

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