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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bank — for money
  16. tear — to rip
  17. root — the cause
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a word

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