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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — part of the head
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — government
  7. fall — the season
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rule — a law
  10. face — to confront
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — for catching
  13. root — the cause
  14. net — after costs
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kid — to tease
  23. net — in sport
  24. kid — child

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