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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — part of the head
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. root — of a word
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitch — completely
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — to shout
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — army training
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. face — to confront
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — lets stay

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