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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — of a plant
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chest — a box
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — a law
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — of a word

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