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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. face — part of the head
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rock — music
  17. row — to paddle
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — a line

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