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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 120 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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. root — of a word
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. root — the cause
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tear — from crying
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tear — to rip

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