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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — for golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — a container
  5. tear — to rip
  6. club — a group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — from crying
  9. object — an aim
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — of a plant
  18. object — to protest
  19. root — the cause
  20. club — for dancing
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — a thing
  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