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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kick — in football
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a word
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. content — happy
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. content — the amount

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