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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 120 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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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: root · bark · wake · current · deal · wound · tear · spell

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tear — from crying
  9. current — electric
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — happening now
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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