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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a line of people
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. root — of a word
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chip — for betting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — hurry
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a music group
  24. leaves — lets stay

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