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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tear — to rip
  3. root — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fine — high quality

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