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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. root — of a plant
  3. board — to get on
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a committee
  13. clip — a video
  14. tear — to rip
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — for paper
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. clip — to cut
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a word

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