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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pound — a weight
  5. prune — to trim
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — music
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. root — the cause
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tear — from crying
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tear — to rip

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