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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. root — of a word
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — the cause
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — of a tree

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