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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — in sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — a permit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — of the year
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spring — of water
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. drill — army training

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