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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a document
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. file — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. racket — a loud noise

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