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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. march — the month
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. root — of a plant
  12. march — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bound — tied together
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — in a tire

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