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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. tube — a container
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. net — after costs
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — thin
  20. net — for catching
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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