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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — government
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a word
  24. wake — before a funeral

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