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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — the cause
  8. roll — a cake
  9. track — a song
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. root — of a word
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. perch — the fish
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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