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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — government
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. last — final
  23. root — of a word
  24. rule — to rule out

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