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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — certain
  8. root — the cause
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bound — obliged
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bound — tied together
  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