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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a plant
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rule — a law
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. root — of a word
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — videos and posts

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