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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: game · hide · present · roll · bark · root · trunk · temple

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a plant
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. present — a gift
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. present — the time now
  17. roll — a list
  18. root — of a word
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bark — of a tree

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