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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. root — of a word
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — decided
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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