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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — a gift
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — the time now
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to bend

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