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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a ring
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. band — a music group
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — the cause
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. land — to come down
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — a country

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