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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rule — government
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — to confront
  13. root — of a word
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spring — a coil
  17. root — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. face — part of the head
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — the cause

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