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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tear — from crying
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. tear — to rip
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. root — of a word
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. track — a song
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — a part of something

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