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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — in sport
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. season — of the year
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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