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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tear — to rip
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — a group
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. root — of a word
  22. club — for golf
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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