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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · bark · tear · rock · ruler · row

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. row — a line
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rock — music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. row — to paddle
  18. tear — to rip

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