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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — the cause
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a grade
  9. date — the fruit
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — of a word
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — on the calendar

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