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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — of a word
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pop — to visit
  15. root — the cause
  16. craft — boats
  17. rash — a series
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pop — music
  23. rush — hurry
  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