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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — a stick
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — the cause
  24. leaves — to go away

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