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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. spring — of water
  3. tear — to rip
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. plane — a tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spring — the season
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. coach — a trainer

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