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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.

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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. root — of a word
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — the cause
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — the most important part

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