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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — in football
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — an injury

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