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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a plant
  13. file — a tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a partner
  19. file — a document
  20. root — the cause
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a dance
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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