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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: wound · degree · tear · charge · root · stock · plane · arm

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. plane — a tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stock — goods
  14. degree — temperature
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — shares
  24. root — of a word

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