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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bound — certain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bound — tied together
  19. can — a tin
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — to be able to
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — the most admired

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