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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. file — a document
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mug — to rob
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tube — a container
  21. mug — a face
  22. tear — from crying
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — to rip

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