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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a tool
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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