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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. capital — a city
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tear — to rip
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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