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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fall — to drop
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fall — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. root — the cause
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spring — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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