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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. root — the cause
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — clothes
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — high quality
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. suit — to fit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a document
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to click

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