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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — the cause
  14. ground — a position
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bound — certain
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rule — a law
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rule — to rule out

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