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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — the cause
  12. land — a country
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. land — to come down
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — ground
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. arm — part of the body
  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