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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. face — part of the head
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — a division
  5. root — of a plant
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. root — of a word
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. root — the cause
  22. cue — a signal
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — a young animal

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