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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 124 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — of water
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ground — a position
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — to recline

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