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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — a video
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — in a road

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