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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. swing — in golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mate — a friend
  9. swing — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. root — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — a young animal

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