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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — the cause
  4. row — to paddle
  5. date — the fruit
  6. vault — a safe
  7. swing — music
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. swing — in golf
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — a line
  21. swing — to play on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — thin

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