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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — of a plant
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. charge — electricity
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. content — happy
  12. stand — to bear
  13. charge — a price
  14. tear — to rip
  15. content — the amount
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — in control
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a word
  22. kid — to tease
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

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