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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 120 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stock — goods
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. root — the cause
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stock — shares
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. root — of a word
  24. present — the time now

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