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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.

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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. suit — clothes
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cold — not warm
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — a break
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. suit — to fit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. calf — a young 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