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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. march — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — the month
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rule — government
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — a law
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. march — the month
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. cold — an illness
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. cold — not warm

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