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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a word
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. row — to paddle
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rest — a break
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. wave — of the sea

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