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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — farmland
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. last — finally
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — final
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — for sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. field — a subject
  24. last — to go on

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