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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a word
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. root — the cause
  14. mine — for digging
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bulb — for light

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