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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — to go on
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. track — to keep track
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. track — a song
  13. last — final
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — finally
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. root — of a word
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kick — a thrill

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