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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — of a plant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tear — from crying
  9. root — of a word
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. march — music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — a phone
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fine — high quality

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