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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — for sport
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — of a word
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. field — farmland
  13. mug — a cup
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. suit — clothes
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a face

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