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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. root — of a word
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — electric
  8. rule — a law
  9. ground — a position
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — the cause
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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