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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — tied together
  8. club — for golf
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. root — of a plant
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — humankind
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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