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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. capital — money
  20. root — of a word
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — the cause
  24. capital — a city

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