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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. root — of a word
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. object — an aim
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — a thing
  12. root — the cause
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. object — to protest
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pitcher — a jug

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