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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lean — thin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. root — the cause
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. root — of a word
  16. tear — from crying
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lean — to bend
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lean — to rest against

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