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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. root — of a word
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spring — the season
  24. bulb — for light

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