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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — to crush
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. present — there
  10. row — to paddle
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rule — a law
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. squash — the sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. rule — government
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the vegetable

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