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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a lid
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — to wash
  22. root — the cause
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. root — of a word

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