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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a word
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — magic
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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