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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 116 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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — a coil
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. chip — for betting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. spring — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — a country
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — the season

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