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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. file — a tool
  7. key — in music
  8. kick — in football
  9. root — of a word
  10. chest — a box
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bore — to tire

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