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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. prune — to trim
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — the cause
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. club — for dancing
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. clip — for paper
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. club — for golf
  20. cell — in biology
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. club — a group

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