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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — the cause
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. drill — the tool
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — government
  23. hand — in cards
  24. root — of a word

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