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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. face — to confront
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tear — from crying
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. face — part of the head
  24. root — of a word

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