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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. track — to keep track
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — the cause
  9. rock — music
  10. root — of a plant
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a path
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — bread
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — to fit
  23. root — of a word
  24. track — a song

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