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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — thin
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. shower — rain
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — to drill
  17. root — of a word
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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