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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. root — of a word
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — a friend
  23. current — of water
  24. mate — a partner

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