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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: rule · saw · mouse · root · bark · plane · calf · foot

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rule — government
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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