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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. root — the cause
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. land — to come down
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. staff — employees
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a word
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — a stick

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