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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. root — of a plant

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