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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — to tease
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — army training
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. kid — child
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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