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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — in control
  4. root — the cause
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. tear — to rip
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rock — music
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a music group
  24. tear — from crying

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