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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. root — of a word
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — wild animals
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pit — in a race

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