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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. root — the cause
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bank — for money
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. rule — government
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — an illness

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