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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — a series
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. content — the amount
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tear — to rip
  11. root — the cause
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. root — of a word
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — in cards
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — on the skin

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