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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a word
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rule — a law
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — low music
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rule — government
  22. bass — the fish
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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