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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. root — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. root — of a word
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chip — for betting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mate — a friend
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. plane — a tool

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