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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. root — the cause
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bass — low music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bass — the fish
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tear — to rip
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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