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

Word bank: mark · bound · rush · tear · ruler · mate · root · kid

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mark — a grade

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