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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. track — a song
  8. press — newspapers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. current — happening now
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — hasty
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. track — a path
  19. tear — from crying
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — of a word
  24. bore — to tire

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