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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. object — a thing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — hasty
  8. march — the month
  9. root — of a word
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — an aim
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. bark — to shout
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bark — of a tree

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