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

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. branch — a division
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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