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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. root — the cause
  8. clip — a video
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. root — of a plant
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. root — of a word
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bat — the animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — to cut

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