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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — to rip
  12. squash — the sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — humankind
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — the arms race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. can — a tin

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