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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. land — to come down
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. present — there
  10. snap — to click
  11. root — of a word
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pop — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — a gift
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — ground
  22. present — the time now
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — an untruth

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