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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. root — the cause
  5. band — a ring
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. present — the time now
  11. kid — to tease
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kid — child
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. present — there
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. root — of a word
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. present — a gift

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