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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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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. root — of a word
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fork — in a road

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