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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. degree — temperature
  17. root — the cause
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chip — to eat
  20. suit — to fit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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