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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — a friend
  4. swing — in golf
  5. field — farmland
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. field — for sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. field — a subject

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