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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. root — the cause
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. object — to protest
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chest — a box
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. squash — the sport
  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