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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — the cause
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fall — the season
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — for betting
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. root — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — to eat
  16. root — of a word
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — to shout
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — letters
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. tear — from crying

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