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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — thin
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — of a word
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. clip — a video
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — magic
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. clip — for paper

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