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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. game — wild animals
  3. clip — a video
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. root — the cause
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mate — a partner
  18. game — a match
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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