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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. swing — music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cold — not warm
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a lid

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