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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 · root · safe · land · leaves · pound · saw · lash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — the tool
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. root — of a word
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. safe — a strongbox

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