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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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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. kick — in football
  20. root — of a word
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — what's left

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