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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. last — to go on
  23. root — of a word
  24. sharp — exactly

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