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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. suit — to fit
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pop — to visit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pop — soda
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. suit — in cards

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