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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. root — of a word
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fall — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — the cause
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin

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