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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. chip — to eat
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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