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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. drill — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — army training
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — boats
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a word
  24. dip — a sauce

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