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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — a group
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — bread
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  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