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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — a container
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. firm — decided
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — a company

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