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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. march — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. wind — moving air
  19. march — the month
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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