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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — in a road
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — music
  12. root — of a word
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. game — a kind of play

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