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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: sharp · racket · nail · pass · root · lie · bark · leaves

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lie — to recline
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — a permit
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — clever
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. racket — a loud noise

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