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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. root — of a word
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — of a river
  19. plane — a tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — dry grass

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