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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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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: chip · wind · tear · root · deal · foot · object · wound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. tear — to rip
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wound — an injury
  12. chip — for betting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. deal — to handle
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. object — to protest

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