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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — a break
  7. kid — to tease
  8. root — of a word
  9. spring — of water
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — the cause
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — the season
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kid — child

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