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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — a cup
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — of a word
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. present — there
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. branch — a division

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