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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kick — in football
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. club — a group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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