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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — in music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. root — of a word
  11. key — for a lock
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — the most important part
  16. last — final
  17. can — a tin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — finally

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