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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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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: row · roll · hide · root · chip · rash · tear · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rash — a series
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. row — a line
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — the cause
  23. roll — a list
  24. mine — for digging

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