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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rush — hurry
  15. root — of a plant
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a ring
  18. ball — a dance
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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