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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. track — a song
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — a path
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — of the leg

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