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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. chip — to eat
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. court — for sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. tear — from crying
  12. court — of a king
  13. root — the cause
  14. court — of law
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — obliged
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — for money

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