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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — certain
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — the cause
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bound — tied together
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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