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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. root — of a word
  5. march — the month
  6. rule — a law
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rule — government
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. march — music
  12. last — final
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to bend
  19. last — finally
  20. root — the cause
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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