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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — from crying
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — of a plant
  17. squash — the sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. face — to point toward

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