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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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468
Word bank
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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. game — a match
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. root — of a word
  17. suit — to fit
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — clothes
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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