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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — the cause
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rash — a series
  9. bear — the animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. content — happy
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. root — of a word
  24. chair — a professorship

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