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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to confront
  23. tear — to rip
  24. squash — to crush

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