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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — bread
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — the cause
  15. chest — a box
  16. craft — boats
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — of a plant
  24. band — a rubber band

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