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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.

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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — finally
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a word
  14. chip — for betting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. root — the cause
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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