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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. row — a line
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — a path
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bass — low music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. track — a song

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