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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cold — not warm
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — the cause
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rest — a break
  10. root — of a word
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. firm — steady
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. rest — what's left

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