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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. fall — the season
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. root — of a word
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stock — goods
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cold — not warm

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