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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. key — in music
  6. root — the cause
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — to crush
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. land — a country
  13. key — the most important part
  14. root — of a word
  15. land — ground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spring — a coil
  21. dip — to sink
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — to come down
  24. squash — the vegetable

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