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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cap — a lid
  6. root — of a word
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — the cause
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — to be able to
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — a tin

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