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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. root — the cause
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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