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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tear · board · saw · rush · deal · root · fall · pitcher

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — the cause
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — a committee
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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