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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. root — of a plant
  3. row — a line
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rule — a law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. row — to paddle
  21. root — the cause
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fall — the season

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