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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. roll — a cake
  3. root — of a word
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — a list
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — boats
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. craft — a skill
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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