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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — the cause
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to click
  9. chair — a leader
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a great time
  14. shower — to wash
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. root — of a word
  17. bound — tied together
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bound — obliged

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