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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — a hat
  6. present — the time now
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — there
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cap — a lid
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — to tease
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — a short time
  19. kid — child
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — magic

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