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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: tear · wound · rule · ruler · root · can · pound · coach

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — a law
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rule — government
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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