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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wound — an injury
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. root — the cause
  20. field — farmland
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — for sport
  24. root — of a word

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