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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ground — a position
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. ground — crushed
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — to rip
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — a division
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ground — the earth
  22. present — a gift
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — of a bank

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