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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spell — magic
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. band — a music group
  18. spell — letters
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. branch — a division
  22. bark — to shout
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — the animal

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