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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. track — a path
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — of a word
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — a song
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — a strongbox

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