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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — a series
  3. root — of a word
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — a leader
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. calf — of the leg

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