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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — the cause
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rule — a law
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — of a plant

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