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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. root — the cause
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — a song
  6. root — of a word
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cell — a phone
  20. track — a path
  21. mate — a friend
  22. drill — a practice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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