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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ground — the earth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — crushed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — a series
  20. fork — in a road
  21. track — a song
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. bank — of a river

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