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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. row — a line
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — a skill
  11. root — of a word
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — there
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. present — a gift
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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