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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. kid — to tease
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — the cause
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — government
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — a song
  13. season — in sport
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. kid — child
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. root — of a word
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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