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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. rock — a stone
  21. file — a document
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a tool
  24. rock — music

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