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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pound — a weight
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. land — to come down
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — a country
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. root — the cause
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. stand — to bear
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — to wash

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