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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — a cup
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — to keep track
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mug — to rob

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