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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — to come down
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — the cause
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — of a word
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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