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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: stick · toast · tear · ground · rash · root · staff · lie

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. root — of a word
  12. staff — employees
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — bread
  20. rash — a series
  21. root — the cause
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ground — the earth

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