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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rule — a law
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — the cause
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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