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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. root — of a plant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — to go on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. last — final
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. root — the cause
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — finally
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. capital — a city

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