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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — in music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lean — thin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — the cause
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. tear — to rip
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — a match

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