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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hand — in cards
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tube — a container
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. root — of a word
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. root — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — in a tire
  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