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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — music
  3. rest — a break
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rule — government
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a word
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — a face
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — to rob

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