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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — the cause
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — to bear
  19. degree — temperature
  20. root — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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