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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tear — to rip
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — the cause
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. root — of a word
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — a video
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — goods
  24. bowl — a dish

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