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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: tear · clip · rash · bore · root · present · rush · plane

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rash — a series
  5. clip — a video
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — hurry
  8. clip — for paper
  9. present — the time now
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rash — hasty

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