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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. object — to protest
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. face — to confront
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. face — part of the head
  13. object — an aim
  14. bark — to shout
  15. object — a thing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. face — to point toward

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