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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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 word
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — the cause
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wave — with your hand

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