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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. staff — a stick
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. game — wild animals
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — of a plant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — employees
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lie — to recline
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. game — a match

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