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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. root — of a word
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. root — of a plant
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — the cause
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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