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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — army training
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — a practice
  23. land — a country
  24. row — to paddle

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