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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — the cause
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. root — of a plant
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. content — happy
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. race — the arms race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — the amount

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