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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. root — of a word
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — in music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rest — a break
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — for a lock

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