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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rest — a break
  18. field — for sport
  19. kid — child
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. root — the cause
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — farmland

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