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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — a division
  18. root — the cause
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a word
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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