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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 116 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: fall · root · hand · lash · mine · suit · sharp · tear

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — clothes
  10. root — the cause
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hand — help
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. suit — to fit
  24. sharp — clever

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