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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. march — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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