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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 124 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. content — happy
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — the cause
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. deal — to handle
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — a country
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. lie — an untruth

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