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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · lie · wound · hide · racket · bulb · root · bark

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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