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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — the cause
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. file — a tool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. file — a document
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret

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