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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a word
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. root — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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