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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — thin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — a stone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hand — help
  18. court — of law
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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