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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — to protest
  4. last — finally
  5. root — of a word
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. pop — soda
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. last — final
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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