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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ground — a position
  4. snap — to click
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — wild animals
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — certain
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. calf — a young animal

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