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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — to tire
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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