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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — a division
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. root — the cause
  19. chest — a box
  20. bound — certain
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — of your body
  24. branch — 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