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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · bark · bay · leaves · ground · rush · root · lie

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ground — crushed
  3. file — a line of people
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — a position
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. rush — hurry

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