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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. root — the cause
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rule — a law
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — a coil
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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