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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. file — a document
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. deal — to handle
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. file — a line of people
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. file — a tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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