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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — for digging
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. root — of a word

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