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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. root — the cause
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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