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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. roll — a list
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spell — a short time
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. roll — a cake
  22. face — to point toward
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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