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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bark — to shout
  7. root — the cause
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — a break
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — of a word
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kick — in football

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