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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — a tin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a word
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — to sink

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