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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — of a word
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bound — certain
  24. hide — animal skin

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