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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. root — the cause
  14. last — to go on
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tear — from crying

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