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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — a face
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — a law
  12. root — of a word
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mug — to rob
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — a song
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. track — a path
  24. mug — a cup

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