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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lean — thin
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. swing — to play on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spell — letters

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