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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. root — the cause
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — a box
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. chest — of your body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — the most important part
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. key — in music
  22. shower — rain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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