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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. root — the cause
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kick — in football
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — a tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — of water
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. bark — to shout
  22. snap — to click
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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