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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — of a word
  5. kid — child
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. roll — a list
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pound — a weight
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. root — the cause
  24. tear — from crying

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