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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bat — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — clever
  11. root — the cause
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. root — of a word
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

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