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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — obliged
  7. game — a match
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — rain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a word
  14. bound — tied together
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — of a plant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. calf — of the leg

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