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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. swing — to play on
  3. staff — employees
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a word
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. band — a music group
  12. swing — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — letters
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — the cause
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. swing — in golf
  24. sharp — clever

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