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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. plane — a tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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