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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — to tease
  4. root — the cause
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rule — a law
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — child
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. root — of a word

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