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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — the month
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rule — government
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to click
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pass — a permit
  24. march — music

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