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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: drill · fine · root · rash · tear · stick · deal · row

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rash — a series
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. root — of a word
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a line

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