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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. field — a subject
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. root — the cause
  8. field — for sport
  9. pound — a weight
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — of a plant
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. field — farmland
  21. object — to protest
  22. bank — for money
  23. object — a thing
  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