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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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