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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fork — in a road
  3. last — to go on
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — in control
  16. shower — rain
  17. last — final
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. root — of a word
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — a price
  24. shower — to wash

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