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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — a thing
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. object — to protest
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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