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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — to go on
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ground — a position
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ground — the earth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — finally
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — to rip

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