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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — the cause
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to click
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. drill — a practice
  12. march — the month
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — a series
  15. ground — crushed
  16. march — the month
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — army training
  19. ground — a position
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. drill — the tool

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