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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lie — to recline
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — on the skin

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