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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: fall · fork · leaves · tear · cold · root · can · cap

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tear — to rip
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — the cause
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fork — to eat with

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