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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pop — to visit

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