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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · game · can · calf · tear · file · wound · bore

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — the cause
  3. file — a document
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. can — a tin
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tear — from crying
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a line of people
  18. root — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. file — a 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