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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — finally
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. root — of a word
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — the cause
  11. last — to go on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cue — for pool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cue — a signal
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. press — newspapers

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