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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — the cause
  5. date — the fruit
  6. root — of a word
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — to breed
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mine — for digging
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mate — a friend
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mine — belonging to me

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