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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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468
Word bank
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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. root — of a word
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — a match
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tear — from crying

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