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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rule — government
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rule — a law
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — a path

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