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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — a division
  18. perch — the fish
  19. dip — to sink
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — 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