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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bound — certain
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tear — from crying
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. root — of a word
  24. leaves — of a tree

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