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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pass — a permit
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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