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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 116 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — ground
  6. wake — a trail
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a word
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lean — thin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — a country

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