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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lean — to bend
  4. suit — clothes
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tear — to rip
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — of your body
  10. root — of a word
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — the cause
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — thin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  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