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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — to shout
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. root — the cause
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. press — newspapers

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