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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — boats
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — rain
  8. root — the cause
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. root — of a plant
  22. craft — a skill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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