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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 120 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — to tease
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. root — of a word

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