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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 116 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. tear — to rip
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — size or range
  12. firm — a company
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — steady
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — a phone

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