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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.

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: root · land · firm · roll · lie · craft · bark · date

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. craft — boats
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — the fruit
  6. firm — decided
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — steady
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — a company
  17. land — ground
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. root — the cause
  21. craft — a skill
  22. land — a country
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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