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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — to be able to
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — help
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — in cards
  24. root — of a word

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