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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a word
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. present — there
  8. shower — rain
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — a short time
  13. root — the cause
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spell — magic
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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