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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. march — music
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pound — a weight
  10. march — the month
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. root — of a word
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. march — the month
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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