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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: bark · nail · root · calf · mouse · cold · rock · squash

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rock — a stone
  6. root — the cause
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — to shout
  10. root — of a word
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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