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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: tear · chair · rash · root · bear · lean · object · pit

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. object — to protest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rash — a series
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — a thing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a word
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. root — the cause

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