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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — the cause
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a plant
  9. kick — in football
  10. land — a country
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — ground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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