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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — of a word

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