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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — ground
  4. root — of a word
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — a country
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. land — to come down
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. wake — a trail

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