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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. root — the cause
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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