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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — the amount
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a grade
  6. root — the cause
  7. mark — a trace
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bark — to shout
  15. tear — to rip
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. firm — a company
  20. content — happy
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — videos and posts

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