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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. last — finally
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — to go on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — rain
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bark — to shout
  24. last — final

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