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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. squash — to crush
  8. root — the cause
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — the sport
  17. file — a tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. mate — a partner
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. file — a document
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the 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