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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rash — a series
  12. bear — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. rest — a break
  21. suit — in cards
  22. root — of a word
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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