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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. tear — to rip
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. tear — from crying
  6. can — to be able to
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. root — of a word
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — the cause

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