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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to point toward
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — the cause
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — in sport
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. root — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — for a hammer

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