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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. press — to push
  6. prune — to trim
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — the amount
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — happy
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  24. root — the cause

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