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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — to recline

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