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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. swing — in golf
  12. root — the cause
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bear — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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