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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — the cause
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — to shout
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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