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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — electricity
  12. row — a line
  13. bark — to shout
  14. charge — a price
  15. root — the cause
  16. chip — for betting
  17. charge — in control
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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