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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. land — to come down
  3. last — final
  4. bark — to shout
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a word
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. last — finally
  15. root — the cause
  16. land — ground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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