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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — the cause
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. prune — the fruit

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