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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spring — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. march — the month
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spring — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — a trail
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. march — music

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