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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. net — after costs
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — hurry
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — help
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — the time now
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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