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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — of a word
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. root — of a plant
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. branch — a division

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