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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pop — to visit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. last — final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fall — the season
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — music
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. last — finally
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pop — music
  24. ruler — a monarch

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